A federal judge has thrown out a widely reported lawsuit that sought to block former President Donald Trump from appearing on 2024 presidential ballots in Florida.
However, the judge stated that she lacks jurisdiction over this type of case. She also said that the parties who filed the suit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida “lack standing to challenge [President Trump’s] qualifications for seeking the Presidency.”
“To have standing, a plaintiff must show he has a ‘personal stake’ in the alleged dispute and that the injury is ‘particularized’ to him,” Judge Rosenberg said.
The judge also declared: “An individual citizen does not have standing to challenge whether another individual is qualified to hold public office.” She shot down arguments from Mr. Caplan, a second Florida resident, and a third plaintiff who lives in Nevada.
Mr. Caplan did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’ attempts to reach him for comment; Trump legal spokeswoman Alina Habba also could not be reached.
Judge Rosenberg’s ruling was made “without prejudice,” meaning she left the door open for the case to be refiled.
Still, the dismissal is significant because it comes at a time when other U.S. states are weighing whether to disqualify President Trump’s candidacy based on a disputed legal theory involving the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Under that amendment, a person who was involved in an insurrection or rebellion may be barred from holding office. Legal scholars are divided on whether this provision is applicable to President Trump, who stands accused of various offenses. Some of the charges are related to an election dispute protest that turned violent at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Notably, Judge Rosenberg said: “At least two courts have concluded that citizens attempting to disqualify individuals from participating in elections or from holding office based on the January 6, 2021, events at the United States Capitol lacked standing.”
